Comestible packaging having product viewing window

ABSTRACT

A comestible package includes a blister tray having a plurality of upwardly opening blister depressions arranged in rows and columns. Each blister depression supports a consumable product therein. A blister sleeve is provided for receiving the blister tray. The blister sleeve has a planar wall overlying the blister depressions. The blister wall has an opening therein aligned with a portion of at least one of the blister depressions so as to enable viewing of the consumable products supported therein.

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/269,325 filed on Jun. 23, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a blister package for accommodating and dispensing consumable products. More particularly, the present invention relates to a blister package used to dispense gum pieces and which permits viewing of the pieces through an opening in a blister sleeve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There exists in the prior art numerous packages which contain consumable products such as chewing gum pieces. One type of package is a blister package which includes a blister tray holding the gum pieces which is inserted within a blister sleeve. Many blister packages provide both aesthetic and functional features which make the package desirable to the consumer. Certain of the desirable features include an aesthetically designed packaging which permits viewing of the contents. Certain of the functional features include the ability to retain the gum pieces in the package which allow for convenient individual dispensing of the gum pieces.

It is desirable to provide improved gum packaging which, while maintaining the aesthetically pleasing appearance, provides superior functionality to the consumer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a comestible package includes a comestible holder having a plurality of spaced comestible retainers adapted to retain a plurality of comestible pieces. A sleeve has first and second opposed panels forming a sleeve interior. The comestible holder is selectively insertable and removable from the sleeve interior. The first panel includes a first opening therein. The first opening extends over a plurality of comestible retainers to permit viewing of a plurality of the comestible pieces.

The present invention further provides a blister package that includes a blister tray having a plurality of upwardly opening blister depressions. Each blister depression supports a consumable product. A blister sleeve receives the blister tray. The blister sleeve includes a first and second planar wall spaced from each other to form a sleeve interior. The first planar wall has a first opening therein and the second planar wall has a second opening therein. The first and second openings are at least partially aligned with each other and with a portion of at least one of the blister depressions to enable dispensing of the consumable product without removal of the blister tray from the sleeve.

The present invention still further provides a gum piece package that includes a blister tray having a plurality of manually deformable depressions for retaining pieces of gum. A sleeve has first and second opposed panels forming a sleeve interior. The blister tray is selectively insertable and removable from the sleeve interior. The first panel includes a first opening formed therein to permit viewing of the gum pieces, and a portion of the first panel forms a perimeter of the first opening. One of the side walls includes an aperture therein to permit viewing of a side of the blister tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing packaging of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the packaging of FIG. 1 showing a blister tray being partially removed from a sleeve.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the packaging showing the blister tray fully disposed within the sleeve.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view showing an alternative embodiment of the packaging of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the packaging of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a blank used to form the sleeve of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 7-15 are top plan views of an alternative embodiment of a sleeve blank showing different configurations of openings therethrough to expose one, more than one or portions of the products.

FIGS. 16A-J are top plan views of packing showing various variations of openings in a sleeve.

FIG. 17A is a top plan view of a blister tray showing an alternative configuration of depressions.

FIG. 17B is a top plan view of a blister tray showing a blister tray having an imprint of a leaf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides a package for enclosing and dispensing a plurality of products, preferably consumable products. More particularly, the present invention is designed to contain and dispense confectionery products such as gum pieces. While multi-layered gum pieces are shown in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it may be appreciated that the package disclosed herein may be used to dispense a wide variety of consumable products such as gum pieces or confectionaries in many forms. It is contemplated that the package of the present invention may be used to contain and dispense gum pieces in various shapes, including slabs, sticks, pellets, pillows and the like. In addition, unwrapped gum slabs are shown in the preferred embodiments herein and it is within the contemplation of the present invention that the individual gum pieces may be wrapped or unwrapped.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, a first embodiment of a comestible packaging is shown. The comestible packaging may be a blister package 10 which includes a product retainer 12 in the form of a blister tray and also including a blister sleeve 14. The blister tray 12, which is preferably formed of transparent material, includes a plurality of blister depressions 16 arranged in rows and columns, each of which retains product such as a gum piece 18 therein. The depressions 16 are deformable upon manual action by a user. The upper portion of each depression 16 includes an open end through which the gum pieces 18 may be dispensed. The tray 12 may include thereover a blister film or cover 19 to sealably enclose the pieces 18 within the blister depressions 16. The blister cover 19 may be formed of a metallic foil. Alternatively the cover 19 may be formed of a generally transparent material such that the product retained in the depressions is viewable when looking at either side of the blister tray. In conventional fashion, the gum pieces 18 may be dispensed through the open end of the depression by pressing on the depression and deforming same to force the gum piece through the blister cover placed thereover.

The blister sleeve 14 includes a pair of planar wall panels 20 a and 20 b which are joined by side walls 22 and 24 along opposed sides of the blister sleeve. The wall panels 20 a and 20 b and side walls 22 and 24 form a sleeve interior 21 for receiving the blister tray 12. The remaining opposite ends 23 of the blister sleeve are open to allow slidable insertion and removal of the blister tray 12 therein. To facilitate removal of the product, one of the panels may include a notch 17 formed therein to permit the blister tray to be grabbed by a user.

One of the panels 20 a includes an aperture or opening 25 formed therein, which when the blister tray 12 is inserted therein, exposes the blister depression 16 and the gum pieces 18 supported therein for viewing by the user. The opening 25 is perimetrically bounded about its entire periphery by a portion of panel 20 a. The opening 25 creates a frame surrounding the blister depressions 16 and product 18 retained therein. Indicia related to marketing the product may be printed on the sleeve all around the opening. Accordingly, purchasers may see the product they are buying even when the blister tray 12 is fully inserted in the sleeve 14. In the present embodiment, since the opening 25 is large enough to permit viewing of all the blister depressions 16, one can also determine how many pieces 18 remain without removing the blister tray 12 from the sleeve 14.

In the present illustrative embodiment, the opening 25 is co-extensive with at least portions of all of the blister depressions 16 contained within the blister tray 12. However, other shapes, sizes and arrangements of the opening are contemplated. The opening 25 may be covered by a transparent window 26 formed of plastic or the like.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, at least one of the side walls 24 may also include an opening 27 therein to view the sides of the gum pieces 18 contained within the blister depressions 16. This arrangement is particularly advantageous where the gum pieces are a multi-layered pellets where the user can visually observe the aesthetic quality of the multi-layers from the side view. This opening may also be covered by a transparent window.

The sleeve 14 having a blister tray 12 therein may be covered with a removable overwrap (not shown) to protect the contents of the package 10. A user may remove the overwrap to access the blistery tray 12 and gum pieces 18 therein.

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown with respect to FIGS. 4-6. The embodiment shown herein is substantially similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3. Blister package 10′ has a blister tray 12′ and blister sleeve 14′ with an opening 25′ in upper wall 20 a′ of sleeve 14′. However, the blister opening 25′ is a smaller central opening which overlies a single blister depression 16′ thereby exposing a single gum piece 18′. In this way a single piece is highlighted to one viewing the package. It may, of course, be appreciated that the size and location of the opening 25′ may be varied on the blister sleeve for aesthetic considerations.

The sleeve 14′ may be formed from a flat die cut blank 30 as shown in FIG. 6. The flat blank is a paperboard member, but as may be appreciated, other materials and composites thereof may also be employed. The sleeve 14′ may be formed by folding the blank along various fold lines 32 and adhering together tabs 34 and 36. A clear film 26′ forming a window may be adhered over the opening 25′ prior to folding of the blank 30 into the sleeve.

FIGS. 7-15 show flat die cut blanks all referred generally by reference number 50 used to form blister sleeves where various configurations of openings, referred to generally with reference number 52 on one or both sides of the blister sleeve may be formed. As noted above, the openings in the wall panel of the sleeve, may be formed in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, for example, ovals (FIG. 7), rectangles (FIG. 10), rounds (FIGS. 12 and 13), and stars (FIG. 8). As can be seen from the figures, the openings may cover one or more than one blister depression or may cover parts of one or more than one blister depression. In addition, one or more openings may be formed in both panel walls as shown for example in FIG. 7. Furthermore, each panel may have different sets of openings as shown for example in FIG. 9.

Various alternative packaging referred to generally with reference number 60 having openings 62 are shown in FIGS. 16A-16J.

In one embodiment, the wall panels may include opening which are aligned with each other when the sleeve is formed. Blanks used to form such sleeves are shown for example in FIGS. 7, 8 and 10. The openings 52 may be positioned so that a blister depression is disposed between the two openings. A user may extend there finger in through one opening and depress the blister depression. Such pressing forces the gum piece out through the cover, and it exits the other opening 52. Therefore, a gum piece may be dispensed without removing the blister tray from the sleeve.

Since the openings formed in the sleeve panels permits viewing of the blister tray, the blister depressions 16 may be formed in a variety aesthetically pleasing configurations. One configuration of blister depressions 16 on a blister tray 66 for example is shown in FIG. 17A. In addition, an image or other indicia 70 may be applied to a blister tray 72 as shown in FIG. 17B. The indicia 70 may correspond to indicia on the sleeve. For example, the indicia on the sleeve and the blister tray may be coordinated such that the one continuous image is presented to a user. In addition, the indicia on the sleeve may continue onto at least part of the blister tray which is visible.

Various changes to the foregoing described and shown structures would now be evident to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the particularly disclosed scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims. 

1. A comestible package comprising: a comestible holder including a plurality of spaced comestible retainers adapted to retain a plurality of comestible pieces; a sleeve having first and second opposed panels forming a sleeve interior, the comestible holder being selectively insertable and removable from the sleeve interior; and the first panel including a first opening therein, the first opening extending over a plurality of comestible retainers to permit viewing of a plurality of comestible pieces.
 2. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the first opening is perimetrically bounded by the first panel around its entire periphery.
 3. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the first panel is connected to the second panel by a first and second side wall, and the first side wall including a side opening therein to permit viewing of the comestible pieces.
 4. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes a first and second open end to permit the comestible holder to be slide in and out of the sleeve.
 5. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the first opening in the first panel is covered by a generally transparent film.
 6. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the first panel includes a plurality of openings formed therein.
 7. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the second panel includes an opening therein to permit viewing of the comestibles.
 8. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the sleeve is formed of a single unitary piece of material.
 9. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the first opening has a shape selected from the group including a round, star, elongated slot and rectangular.
 10. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein the comestible retainer includes a blister tray having a plurality of depressions arranged in rows and columns forming the comestible retainers.
 11. The package as defined in claim 1, wherein indicia is applied to the sleeve and the indicia continues onto at least a portion of the blister tray which is visible through the first opening.
 12. A blister package comprising: a blister tray having a plurality of upwardly opening blister depressions, each blister depression supporting a consumable product; and a blister sleeve for receiving the blister tray, the blister sleeve having a first and second planar wall spaced from each other to form a sleeve interior, the first planar wall having a first opening therein and the second planar wall having a second opening therein, the first and second openings being at least partially aligned with each other and with a portion of at least one of the blister depressions to enable dispensing of the consumable product without removal of the blister tray from the sleeve.
 13. The package as defined in claim 12, wherein the first opening has a perimeter bounded by the first planar wall.
 14. The package as defined in claim 12, wherein the sleeve includes a second planar wall spaced from the first planar wall, the first and second planar walls defining a space therebetween for receiving the blister tray.
 15. The package as defined in claim 14, wherein the second planar wall including a second opening therein, and the second opening aligned with a portion of at least one of the blister depressions to enable viewing of the consumable product supported therein.
 16. The package as defined in claim 15, wherein the first opening provides a user with access to the at least one blister depression and the second opening provides an exit through which the consumable product can exit the sleeve after being removed from the at least one blister depression.
 17. The package as defined in claim 12, wherein indicia is applied to the sleeve and the indicia continues onto at least a portion of the blister tray which is visible through the first opening.
 18. A gum piece package comprising: a blister tray having a plurality of manually deformable depressions for retaining pieces of gum; a sleeve having a first and second opposed panels joined by a pair of opposed side walls forming a sleeve interior, the blister tray being selectively insertable and removable from the sleeve interior; and the first panel including a first opening formed therein to permit viewing of the gum pieces, a portion of the first panel forming a perimeter of the first opening, one of the side walls including an aperture therein to permit viewing of a side of the blister tray.
 19. The package as defined in claim 18, wherein the second panel has a second opening formed therein to permit viewing of the gum pieces.
 20. The package as defined in claim 19, wherein the first and second openings are in line with each other.
 21. The package as defined in claim 19, wherein indicia is applied to the sleeve and the indicia continues onto at least a portion of the blister tray which is visible through the first opening. 